Everybody Here Wants You
by The Great D
Summary: Commander Jane Shepard is very likable, so much so that a few members of the Normandy's crew have their eyes on her.
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, so this is the first chapter of my first fanfic, ever, I hope I did alright. I thought it would be interesting to have a competition between a few characters for the heart of Shepard, and I think I already know who wins! So tell me if I should continue this._

* * *

The Normandy was quiet. Rarely was peace like this found aboard the ship, there was almost constantly something going on, and tranquility like this was such a rarity that it could dishearten just about anyone who was awake to experience it.

Two bodies were partaking in the silence together, closely. One of them was none other than Commander Jane Shepard, the first human Spectre and the greatest soldier in the Alliance military. She was tough and self-sufficient, no doubt, but she was also beautiful and caring, smart and clever, basically the woman of many-a-man's dreams. Her counterpart was currently playing the role of the happiest person in the universe, watching Shepard sleep with intense focus, trying to memorize every little detail of her face and wishing that this moment would never end. Sleeping, tonight, was not an option for this person, nerves and excitement made sure of that, and it would not be too long before the Commander would wake up, anyway.

Naturally, a few minutes later, Shepard's eyes slowly opened and she blinked a few times until the smiling face looking upon her came into focus. Shepard smiled in return as her mind became clear and she remembered all of the wonderful goings-on of the previous night. Shepard decided to break the silence.

"Hey you."

* * *

(One Week Earlier) 

Jeff Moreau was asleep. While being the pilot of the Alliance's finest spacecraft did come with its fair share of exciting, adrenaline-pumping, life-or-death moments that he lived for, most of the time his job was just driving forward towards the appropriate mass relay. Understandably, this can get very boring, and Joker was not a man known for his patience. Every once in a while, during a particularly danger-free stretch, he would turn on the autopilot and catch forty winks. It was a risk, certainly, but it had not yet backfired and no one seemed to notice, or at least care. This was one such occasion, but this time Joker's slumber was not going to go uninterrupted.

After a prolonged period of relative inactivity, Jane Shepard finally had several things to do and many places to go, all of them just as important as the last. Most recently their visit to Therum resulted in the addition of a new crew member, Liara, who Shepard had already grown quite fond of; she seemed pleasant and innocent of any involvement with her mother, Benezia, Saren's right hand. Liara was also a biotic adept, which would surely come in handy in battle, and Shepard was eager to see what she could do. Their next stop, she had decided, was going to be Feros, and as she was walking towards Joker to tell him where to take them, she could swear she heard the faintest sound of snoring.

The opportunity was just too good to pass up, and she decided that Joker deserved it.

"Look out!"

The commander's scream had the desired effect. Joker bolted upright from his slouched position, eyes wide and frantically trying to assess the situation.

"Huh, wha... what's going on?" was the only reply that the suddenly shaken pilot could manage before noticing his commanding officer beside herself with laughter behind him.

"Not. Cool. Commander" was Joker's irritated retort when he realized she had decided to scare him as a joke.

"Neither is sleeping on the job Joker, but you don't seem to have any problem with that."

She had him there; he couldn't see how he was going to be able to sweet-talk her out of chastisement, so he decided to take it like the man he was.

"So what is my punishment going to be, ma'am? You know you can't afford to get rid of me, so what's it gonna be? Double shift? Cleaning the bathrooms? Hanging out with Wrex?"

"As much as I'm sure Wrex would enjoy your company, I'm going to let this slide, Joker, as I'm sure this isn't the first time you've done this, and it's never gotten us in trouble before. Just don't let me catch you again, okay?"

"Sure thing, Commander. So I assume there must be some reason you so rudely woke me up."

She paid no attention to his joke, perhaps it was inappropriate to sass a superior officer, but it wasn't the first time he had done it, and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last; at this point she had just grown immune to his jabs. "How very perceptive of you, Joker; as a matter of fact I came up here to tell you to take us to Feros. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and gather my team."

"I'll have you there in no time, Commander."

With that, Shepard walked away and Joker returned to his thoughts, which were his only company most of the time.

With any other commanding officer he had ever had, Joker would have considered himself lucky if he had gotten away with sleeping while piloting, but Shepard was different, and he definitely did not mind that. Even Captain Anderson, who is typically a kind man, was capable of becoming livid at times, and did not care for Joker's sense of humor one bit. Shepard on the other hand, was more laid back and just one of the guys, so to speak, at least from what Joker saw of her. He was told she was a fierce and, at times, ruthless warrior and Joker had a hard time believing that, but he also reasoned that she wouldn't be a Spectre if she wasn't the best. It also didn't bother him that she was easy on the eyes, as opposed to all of the middle-aged men he had the "pleasure" of working with. It would be a lie to say all of his thoughts towards her were appropriate, and it would also be a lie to say his spirits didn't rise when she came to see him.

* * *

Kaidan Alenko was blind. Not permanently blind, of course, but when he woke up from his short night's sleep he found himself suffering an excruciating migraine just like he had so many times before. He wasn't used to the pain, no one could possibly develop an immunity to it, but sacrificing biotic abilities by switching from an L2 to an L3 implant in order to relieve the pain wasn't an option in his mind. He slowly got out of his sleeping pod and moved towards Dr. Chakwas' med station. The journey was only one of about 15 feet, but it took Kaidan a few minutes instead of a few seconds to get there. Once he arrived, his vision had returned, but was still significantly blurred; luckily for him he had been here more than enough times to have memorized the place. He saw the human-shaped figure at the end of the room stand and move towards him. 

"Hello Kaidan" said the figure's calm, soothing voice.

"Hi" was all that Kaidan dared to say; his own voice was like a wall of noise during his migraines.

The older woman could practically have helped him with a blindfold on; it seemed to her like she had done this a million times in the past. She gave him the appropriate drugs and some of the coffee that Kaidan claimed to help; it wouldn't be long before the flare-up was over, and Kaidan was as good as new.

Kaidan decided to lie down just as the Commander entered the room.

"Good morning Dr. Chakwas... oh, and hello Lieutenant, is everything okay?"

Kaidan threw one hand up and gave a quick wave, but did not vocally address her.

"Good morning Commander Shepard" replied the doctor "you need not worry about Alenko; he's just suffering from another L2 migraine. Is there something you need, Commander?"

Jane nodded. "Just passing through, actually" was all she said before she walked into the back room where the asari, Liara, spent most of her time. By the time she was came back out, Kaidan was already feeling much better.

"May I ask what that was about, Commander?" he asked, as the ringing in his head was all but gone.

She was almost startled to see him up and alert when she came back into the Doctor's office. "Oh I was just alerting Liara that she would be coming with me on Feros today. I would bring you, Kaidan, but..."

"I can come Commander, the migraine is all, but gone, there's nothing to worry about, honestly."

"I'm sure you're right, but I don't need to take the risk on such an important mission Kaidan, I hope you can understand that."

"Of course, I understand" was all the suddenly dejected lieutenant could muster.

"Next time, Lieutenant, I promise. Good day, Doctor." With that, Shepard left, leaving Kaidan and Chakwas alone.

"Don't look so glum, Kaidan, it's nothing personal, she just wants all of the members of her team to be completely alert."

"I know, I just don't like the thought of something happening to her that could have maybe been prevented had I been there" was his answer, which he soon realized was perhaps a little too revealing, as a small smile crept over Dr. Chakwas' face.

"Tell me Kaidan, how do you feel about the Commander?" She knew she was prying, and perhaps it would make him uncomfortable, but she was still human and enjoyed her gossip just as much as the next person.

"With all due respect, Doctor Chakwas..." Kaidan was trying his damndest not to grin himself, "I don't think that's appropriate to discuss." He then made his way towards the exit, but before departing he turned around and added "or any of your damn business." The grey-haired woman laughed heartily at this and Kaidan himself couldn't help but smile. Now he just had to hope word would not spread.

* * *

Garrus Vakarian was rigid. The tough cartilage covering his face was not the only unyielding part of the turian, no, but he had a hard, invisible shell that he protected himself with and no one had been able to break through it, at least not until now. Turians, as a species, are typically stern and not a particularly social people, and Garrus was certainly no exception. Getting emotional was typically out of the question for him, he was all business, no pleasure, and he thought he liked it like that. It was troublesome for Garrus, as one would expect, when he caught himself once thinking about Commander Jane Shepard for an extended period of time. He, unlike many of his kind, had no qualms with humans, so it wasn't the mere thought of her that was bothering him, it was the _way_ he was thinking about her. He was only complimentary of the human, nothing about her seemed to bother him, and in fact he even enjoyed her presence from time to time. It would not be long before he would be regretting thinking so much about thinking about her, because as he was lost in his own mind he did not even notice the Commander get off the elevator and approach him. 

"Garrus?" she asked, bemused by his lack of acknowledgement.

The turian jumped when he heard her voice, the voice in his head, say his name. "Oh, Shepard, I beg your pardon, I did not see you standing there, what can I do for you?"

"Suit up, you're going out with me on Feros" she said bluntly, something he admired about her.

The turian raised his eyebrows as her choice of words, but she did not seem to notice, perhaps unfamiliar with turian biology.

"Excellent, just allow me to get ready, Commander."

"No problem Garrus, we still have a little time before we arrive."

Upon her exit Garrus returned to his thoughts, his thoughts of her. He sighed; these brief encounters left him wanting more, and he felt ridiculous, a human and a turian? Most Turians would scoff at the idea, and most humans would just laugh. Garrus Vakarian just had to hope that Jane Shepard wasn't most humans.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Authors Note:_ **_Well I updated this quicker than I had expected to at the request of some reviewers. Thanks for all the kind words, unfortunately this chapter is more of a set-up for later one's, but I hope it's not boring._

* * *

  
Garrus was silent. He watched Jane, Commander Shepard, rather, talking to the Baynhams and Shiala, the asari who used to follow Benezia, and in turn Saren. She had let the asari live, even though she had blindly followed Saren in his attempts to assist the Reapers destroy all intelligent life, and he was unsure if he would have been able to make that same decision. Garrus could not deny that he was a "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of officer, and he admired Shepard for her empathy; not just towards Shiala, but towards everyone she met. He could tell she was turned off by his no holds barred attitude about how to stop Saren, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was probably correct. And the more he thought about Shiala, the more he realized that Jane was probably correct about that too; the asari was innocent, incapable of truly understanding what she was doing, and her oath to help rebuild the colony on Feros seemed genuine, so she did not deserve to die.

Garrus had a hard time accepting and understanding his attraction to the Commander. He figured that she was fairly good looking for a human female, although humans weren't exactly his, or any turian's, type (and he figured those feelings went both ways). He knew it wasn't aesthetics and he knew it wasn't just one thing about her that he found alluring, but rather an amalgamation of traits. Part of it was her combat abilities, which he truly saw for the first time just minutes ago as they were mowing down swarms of the Thorian's "creepers." She was fierce and disciplined, and she could have made any turian proud; at times Garrus would lose focus of what he was doing while appreciating Shepard's prowess as a leader. Perhaps another element of his attraction was how accepting she was of him; when Executor Pallin, his boss, decided that his time was up on his investigation of Saren, she knew that he was right and gave him this chance to help bring him down, and he was grateful.

"Hello, Garrus," said a calm voice that dammed his stream of thoughts.

He turned his head towards the voice, and his eyes met those of Liara, who had also accompanied him and Shepard on this mission. "Hello Liara, you fought quite well today for someone who isn't used to combat, your biotics are impressive, to say the least."

"Thank you Garrus, that is a perk of being an asari, I suppose."

"Is there something I can help you with, Doctor?" Garrus asked after a pause. He was hoping that there was some reason she had interrupted him.

"Oh no, I am fine, I just thought you looked bored and would enjoy some company."

"Ah, well thank you for the gesture, but I ensure you that I am far from bored" was the politest response Garrus could manage without sounding annoyed.

"If I may ask, what were you staring at?" Liara asked, after another brief silence.

He knew her social skills weren't as far along as most people her age, but he could not help but sigh when she asked the question. Luckily for him, and possibly her, Shepard had made her way over to the two of them a moment after she had asked.

"Good work here today, you two, just letting you know that you can both head back to the Normandy now; I won't be much longer."

Liara replied first, simply saying "understood, Commander" and started her way back towards their ship.

Garrus nodded and started walking, but stopped after just a few steps, as he realized that this would be a good opportunity to speak with the commander. He tried to make himself look busy, pretending to inspect things, but he made sure that he always had one eye on Jane. After a few minutes he noticed her say her final goodbyes to a few colonists and start towards the way they came in, so he quickly started jogging in her direction. Once he caught up she noticed him and was noticeably surprised.

"Garrus? I thought I told you to head back to the ship."

"Yes, well, I took it as more of a suggestion than an order, Shepard, so I decided to stick it out until you were ready, just in case."

"That's sweet of you, but everything was under control, I didn't need any extra protection" she said plainly.

Garrus became flustered by the bluntness of her words. "Yes of course, I beg your pardon, I... I didn't mean to question your..." He was cut off by her sudden laughter.

She noticed the confused expression on the turian's face. "I'm sorry Garrus, I'm just not used to seeing a Turian get upset like that. Your people are always so blunt and serious that whenever I talk to one of you I become very serious myself; I really have no problem with your staying."

"I wish I could say that that is just a popular misconception of our people, but unfortunately many turians seem to have been born without hearts" he said coolly, relieved by her explanation.

Shepard grinned at his remark; maybe a minute ago she would have taken that literally, but now she knew this other side of the turian. "I take it that you're not one of those heartless turians, Garrus?"

"I'm working on it, Shepard."

* * *

Ashley Williams was bumming. 

"I think you should just tell him how you feel, Ashley, and just get it over with."

"Easier said than done, Tali."

The human and the quarian weren't the most likely of friends, seeing as one of them loved fighting and the other was more concerned with the ship she was living in, but they were both young women, and they had more in common than one would think.

"Why don't you just tell Adams how you feel if it's so easy?" Ashley knew the question was ridiculous and immature, but she wasn't in the mood to be lectured.

"That is disgusting! Just because we are both engineers that does not mean I am interested in him." Tali spoke with zealous sincerity, even though she knew Ashley was not serious. This was one thing about the Chief that bothered Tali, occasionally she would act like this and Tali would seem like the older of the two, but Tali was never capable of stooping to her level.

"Well I'm afraid to do anything until I'm certain that he's interested in me too, I can't help it."

Tali was unimpressed by the response. "You're afraid?" Ashley nodded. "You go into battle and kill without any second thoughts, and you could die from that, but you're afraid of telling Kaidan that you like him?"

"Pretty much; those are two completely different things, there's no time to think about death too much in the heat of battle, but if I'm talking to someone all I can do is think about what I'm going to say."

Tali realized that her approach was not going to sail with Ashley. "So how are you going to find out if he likes you?"

"I..." she stopped just as soon as she had started, as the man they were talking about walked out of the medical room and into the mess area where they were sitting, with a big smile on his face.

He stopped and his expression turned from happy to perplexed upon seeing the wide-eyed Williams staring up at him with her jaw dropped. The quarian also seemed tense. "Am I interrupting something?" Kaidan asked.

Neither of them had a good answer for this, so after a few awkward seconds Ashley replied with a soft "no," and Kaidan took his answer and moved to his nearby station.

Ashley and Tali leaned forwards so they could hear each other's whispers.

Tali spoke first. "Not bad, maybe next time you'll manage an entire sentence."

Ashley did not appreciate the sarcasm and glared at her friend, while stealing a glance at Kaidan. "Well what was I supposed to say? 'Oh, we were just going to discuss ways I could get you to like me!?'"

"Sure, that might have worked."

Ashley could not tell if Tali was being honest or sarcastic, but she was probably right, and it bugged her. She stole another glance.

* * *

Kaidan was a mess. While he was relieved to have finally told someone, albeit indirectly, about his feelings towards the Commander, he prayed that Dr. Chakwas would not let others in on their little secret. Not only was that idea concerning him, but he knew his anxiety wouldn't die down as long as Shepard was on Feros and he had no idea of how things were going. And on top of all that was his recent, brief encounter with Ashley and Tali, both of whom had just recently left the area. He was sure he had caught them in the middle of something that was most likely private and embarrassing, and maybe even about him. Considering the look that was on the Gunnery Chief's face when he saw them and the frequent peeks that she made in his direction while they were whispering to one another, he felt pretty confident that he was involved. 

_"Maybe they were just discussing my migraines, which would make sense; most people think I'm sensitive towards them..." _His train of thought was cut off by the sudden appearance of Liara, who, he knew, was making her way to the top level of the Normandy where she would join Captain Shepard and whoever had taken his spot. Without looking in her direction, he said a curt "good luck" to the asari, only moving his eyes in her direction when she failed to respond. Apparently at a loss for words, Liara just gave Kaidan a quick bow of the head in recognition and scuttled up the nearby stairs.

Not long after this he heard the elevator come to a halt and its doors opened. _Garrus. _Kaidan had no quarrel with this turian, but his history with the species had left him with a certain hesitance about trusting them completely.

"You're going with the Commander?" he asked in Garrus' direction.

"Yes, she just alerted me" replied the turian.

Kaidan wanted to say something about keeping the Commander safe, but he knew that that could be consequential, so he just said "be careful out there" to the infamously brash C-SEC officer, and let him go on his way. The Lieutenant knew that no good was going to come of returning to his thoughts now, if anything he'd just end up getting another headache, so he decided that it couldn't possibly hurt to pay Ashley a visit.

* * *

"ETA is two minutes, Commander" 

"Thanks, Joker."

Shepard and Liara were in the Normandy's cockpit, waiting impatiently for the ship to land. Jane was always like this before a mission; her adrenaline built up to a point where she was almost excited about the prospect of kicking some ass. Liara, on the other hand, was more anxious than anticipatory, and Joker could tell.

"Don't worry Blue; with the Commander by your side you'll be just fine."

"Thank you for the reassurance, Joker, but right now I am more concerned about a safe landing that I am about of my own abilities" countered the asari, clearly not too familiar with Joker's competence.

"Don't you worry about Joker" said Shepard, chiming in, "he's the best pilot mankind's got to offer." She gently placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder and he tensed up, his motion causing the Normandy to rock once, and causing the Commander to lose her balance in the process.

"I'm sold" offered Garrus, who had finally decided to join them.

Jane, who had now recomposed herself, gave a knowing look at Joker, who proceeded to pretend that he had not noticed.

"Coming in for landing." Joker lived up to his reputation with a smooth landing of the Normandy in Feros' starship dock. Commander Shepard, Liara, and Garrus promptly exited, and that familiar voice alerted the ship that Pressly was standing in as the commanding officer while Shepard was away. He watched from his seat as the three of them were halted by someone who Joker assumed had to be a colonist. He was just getting up to go to the bathroom when he saw a gunshot in the corner of his eye. He fell back into his seat while he watched the Commander and her team in a firefight against a handful of Geth. He noticed the colonist's body on the ground, dead, the poor bastard probably never saw it coming; but he was relieved to see that the Commander had no problem wiping out the Geth. He grabbed his crutches and made his way out of the cockpit, relieved, in need of "relief," and hoping that the Commander would touch him again eventually, you know, so he could make up for that little humiliating moment earlier.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: **Sorry for taking longer to update, this chapter was sort of a bitch to write, and maybe it'll show. Luckily, I have chapter 4 all planned out so it shouldn't take as long to write, and I think it could be a really good one. As always, reviews are very appreciated, enjoy._

* * *

Kaidan Alenko was determined. He was naturally a very shy and soft-spoken person, and as a result of this he had a less-than-stellar social life and not too many friends; he did, however, consider Ashley Williams to be a friend. Granted, the two of them were not overly close, but the fact that they were both on the Eden Prime mission and involved in the hunt for Saren the longest had created a bond between the two of them. And now he was determined to bring them closer, even if it was just a little bit. He was tired of people thinking they couldn't talk to him, whether it be about himself or anything in general, but he didn't blame any of them, he knew how he came off at times. So now he was going to walk up to Ashley and set things straight; show her the true Kaidan Alenko.

Once the elevator he was riding reached its destination at the bottom level of the Normandy, Kaidan stepped out and was pleased to see Ashley standing where she was usually found: in that same old dimly-lit corner of the Normandy, working with her weaponry. He nodded in Wrex's direction in passing, and the hulking Krogan merely grunted in return, but the Lieutenant didn't expect much more than that; a few more steps and he was but a few feet away from the Gunnery Chief, who was so deeply immersed in trying different upgrade combinations on her assault rifle that she didn't realize who's "may I speak with you?" she had just nodded in agreement to.

"Ashley?" Kaidan tried again, trying to get her full attention since his first attempt only seemed to have mildly fazed her. This time she turned her gaze away from her gun, and once she saw who was interrupting her, her eyes got wide just like they had in their previous encounter.

* * *

"Oh, hey Kaidan" she replied, glad her voice didn't leave her once more.

"There's something I need to tell you, Ash."

A million different professions of love ran through Ashley's mind upon hearing those words leave his mouth.

"I know you were talking about me earlier."

All of a sudden a sense of dread came over Ashley and it washed away some of her excitement, even though she knew this revelation might not be a bad thing at all. "You... you do?"

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious, and I understand why you wouldn't want me to think you were talking about me, and how that's embarrassing for you, but to be honest with you, I don't mind it at all."

"You don't?" Ashley did not want to keep asking dumb questions, but unfortunately she was dumbfounded by the words coming out of his mouth.

"Not at all" Kaidan replied. "Feel free to talk to me about it any time; it's not taboo to me, in fact, I want you to."

There was a pause as Ashley tried to figure out which emotion was most appropriate for the situation, and after settling on relieved she took a deep breath and said with a smile on her face, "understood Alenko; you're completely sure about this?"

"Definitely, I've never had any problems talking about my condition" answered Kaidan confidently.

Ashley had no words left; if she was alone she might have been reduced to a sobbing wreck, but she did her best to try and stay composed and strong. She simply nodded, with any characteristics of positive emotions drained from her face.

* * *

Kaidan took her answer and his leave, quite pleased with how well that had gone. While passing by Wrex again on his way back towards the elevator, the Krogan bellowed a low chuckle, clearly directed at Kaidan.

"Something wrong?"

"Not with us" was the Krogan's answer, but Kaidan didn't notice his choice of words.

"Ok then, I'll see ya later, Wrex."

Kaidan sauntered into the elevator with a renewed confidence, and if he hadn't been so busy thinking about what he had just done, he might've noticed the Gunnery Chief sitting in the dimly-lit corner with her head in her hands, and what he had just done.

* * *

Garrus was pleased. His plans to have a real conversation with the Commander had gone swimmingly, and he had even taken the seat next to her during the meeting that followed the mission. He did, however, feel a gush of jealousy arise when Liara attempted to further decipher the cipher that Shepard had received from Shiala. He knew of the asari mating ritual, and how it was fairly similar to the act that had been performed, and it bothered him that she could openly do something so "intimate" with the Commander, but the feeling subsided when Shepard spoke to him after the meeting was adjourned.

"So Garrus, what do you think, how about a trip to the Citadel for a day or two off?"

Garrus couldn't resist his hard-working, Turian nature while replying. "With all due respect, Commander, is that truly the wisest decision with Saren still on the run?"

"I don't think it could hurt, we haven't had a break since we started this search, and in light of our success here I think we all deserve a little R & R."

Shepard smiled at him when she saw the puzzled look on the Turian's face. He was unfamiliar with this acronym, but too stubbornly self-sufficient to ask her what it meant. Fortunately, she helped him out.

"It means rest and relaxation; sorry Garrus, sometimes I forget that aliens might not understand human colloquialisms."

"It's quite alright, Shepard... and I suppose you're right, a little 'R & R' couldn't hurt." He was unsure if he truly believed those words, but her decisions hadn't failed them yet, so he reasoned that he was just going to agree with her from now on.

"Good to hear you say, Garrus, I wasn't sure if you Turians knew how to unwind."

"Ah, well then you mustn't have spent too much of your free time with my kind, I assure you that we are capable of enjoying life just as much as any other species."

"Well you can prove it to me when we get there, but now I need to speak with Joker, talk to you later, Garrus."

"Commander" said Garrus with a nod. When she left the Comm. Room he noticed that Liara was waiting outside the door, peering at him, almost sadly, while it was open; on another day Garrus might have found this suspicious, but right now he was sky high with no plans of coming back down. There was only one question on the Turian's mind.

_"How in the world am I going to prove that to her?"_

* * *

Joker was waiting. He knew that sooner rather than later Commander Shepard would come strolling up to him, and telling him whichever planet they were going to next. Typically their chats were brief, but nevertheless he looked forward to them. Today, much to his displeasure, she was taking her time in getting up to him. It crossed his mind to disrupt whatever she was doing over the intercom, but he didn't want to be rude, or possibly seem desperate. After another minute of waiting, he heard the distinct, quick cadence of Shepard's footsteps approaching him.

Typically the steps would come to a halt before she reached his seat; this time, though, was an exception. She sat down with a thud in the oft unoccupied co-pilot's seat to his right, and Joker looked over at her, clearly surprised.

"Take us to the Citadel, Joker" she said in a strangely deflated voice.

He started up the ship, readying it for their departure without a second thought; he found her more curious than their destination. "You alright, Commander?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes I'm alright, just beat, I can never seem to get enough rest."

"Tell me about it."

This response seemed to give her a short second wind. "Riiiight" she said with a laugh, "it must be _real_ difficult being the pilot and never finding time to sleep."

"You said it Commander. So why the Citadel?"

"Oh yes, could you be a dear and turn on the intercom for me?" she asked with the sarcastic ring still in her voice.

Joker turned it on while maintaining an un-amused glare at Shepard's face. "They're all yours."

"This is Commander Shepard, just letting everyone know that we're going to make a stop at the Citadel for a short break; good work people, you earned this."

With that Joker turned off the intercom and Shepard spoke up one last time.

"Don't tell anyone I'm here" she said, before closing her eyes, and falling asleep.

She was incredibly peaceful amidst all of the chaos that was going on in the galaxy, Joker thought to himself. He couldn't keep himself from looking at her for prolonged periods of time while she was sleeping there; she was far more interesting and nice to look at than the black canvas that was space, in his opinion. Joker did have a softer side, despite popular opinion; he was capable of all human emotions, and once in a blue moon he would even display them. This was, in a way, one of those moments, but no one else was awake to see it. He was genuinely happy at that moment; he often sported a grin to hide some of his irritation or anguish with the illusion of happiness, but this smile was not hiding anything. Once again her company had lifted his spirits, and she wasn't even awake this time. Joker then came to a realization, the kind of epiphany that most people cherish, but unlike most people he forced it out of his mind, out of the Normandy, and into the vacuum of space where it would hopefully never be seen again. He just prayed that his heart wasn't in the mood for a fetch-quest.

* * *

"How long was I out?" Commander Jane Shepard asked her pilot, who had just woken her up.

"The entire ride, so about 12 hours."

She looked out the window and saw the Citadel before her. She still couldn't help but feel in awe of it whenever she arrived. "Is everyone else gone?"

"Yeah, the last of them just got off."

"Alright, you can go ahead Joker; I just need to do a few things before I leave."

And then she was all alone on her ship. She was still a little groggy from being asleep so long, but she definitely felt rejuvenated. She just had to quick log various data on her computer, take a quick shower, and sort out her feelings towards some people, and then she could have some fun.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: **As promised, this chapter did not take long to write._ _This story seems to have a mind of it's own, I had no intentions of it getting this complex, but I hope you all enjoy it._

* * *

Kaidan was lonely. He often felt this way whenever they stopped at the Citadel; the vastness of it and the knowledge that there were millions of others on this space station made him feel insignificant, and it had effectively ruined his good mood. He was in the Presidium (he preferred it to the Wards), sitting on a bench, staring at the lake, without another person in sight. During the day this place was booming with activity, but come nightfall basically everyone who was up here for business during the day had disappeared into the Wards for more relaxing activities. He didn't mind the solitude though, especially not now, since it gave him a good opportunity to think things over; things involving her. He hadn't spoken to the Commander since she left the med room, which he couldn't believe was less than a day ago, it seemed like an eternity, and he did not like it. He knew this would be an opportune time to make some kind of move; he didn't want to risk waiting too long and having her get swept off her feet by someone else, even if the prospects of that happening were slim to none given her position.

He never heard her coming. Maybe it was because of his deep focus on his thoughts, or maybe it was because she moved so quickly and smoothly, but even Avina's voice did not alert him of her presence.

"Having fun, Kaidan?"

In one second his face went from focused to surprised to cheerful. "Doesn't this look like fun to you, ma'am?" He hated having to call her "ma'am" or "commander."

"Oh yeah, bundles of it." Her dry wit was something he found endearing, as opposed to Joker's, which he found irritating. "What are you doing out here, besides looking lonely?"

"Just thinking; I don't care for the Wards, all the lights and sounds don't mix well with my head. What's your excuse?"

She sat down next to him with a sigh. "I had to go and meet with Udina; he wanted to discuss Feros, so I figured I would just get that out of the way before I tried to have any fun."

"So where are you going now, Commander?"

"Hmm, I think I'm going to head down to Flux, I could really use a drink. You want to come along? It'll be fun."

Kaidan knew he wanted to spend time with her, but something about the impersonality of the club turned him off. "Maybe later, Commander, there's still some stuff I need to do right now."

A disbelieving and disappointed look came over her face, but she didn't bother him any further. "Well alright then, but I'll save a seat for you."

Kaidan nodded but didn't say another word. Once she was out of sight, he hung his head, wallowing in self-loathing.

* * *

Joker was frustrated. Elevators and the rapid transit had taken him most of the way, but the walk up the stairs to Flux, which was a simple task for most people, was terribly difficult for him. His efforts gave new meaning to the term "taking your time;" he slowly ascended the mountain of stairs, crutches under his arms, going one step at a time, until he finally reached the top, with beads of sweat on his forehead. Typically Joker would not go to Flux for that very reason, and typically Chora's Den was more his kind of place anyway, but Joker had a hunch, and if he didn't follow it he was sure he would regret it. After a once over of the patrons and not noticing any faces, he made his way towards the bar.

"What can I get for you?" asked the young woman behind the bar.

Joker did not have any intentions of getting drunk quite this early. "Just a beer, something dark."

"Hello, Joker" said a voice to his right. He looked over and noticed that the Turian sitting two seats away from him was in fact Garrus.

"Oh, hey Vakarian, I didn't recognize you."

"Of course, all of us damn Turians looking alike."

"Hey, you said it, not me."

Joker thought it strange to see the hardened C-Sec officer at Flux, and maybe Garrus thought the same of him, but the two men weren't friends by any means, so no questions were asked and they drank in silence. That was until they were given a reason to talk.

"Hello boys" said Commander Shepard, as she took the seat between them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'll be honest; you two are the last people I would expect to catch in a place like this."

Garrus was the first to speak up. "Commander, that hurts, I thought you knew me better than that."

"You never fail to surprise me, Garrus. What's your excuse, Joker?"

The pleased look on the Turian's face only temporarily distracted him. "I'm just trying this place out; I was in the mood for a change of scenery."

After a few drinks and some small talk, Shepard stood up. "Who wants to dance?" she asked.

This time, Joker spoke first. "I would love to commander, but I'm afraid that if I tried I would have to leave this place on a stretcher." That was perhaps the most sincere thing he had ever said to her.

"Aww, yeah, sorry about that Joker, but how about you, Garrus?"

The Turian was hesitant, so she tried to convince him. "C'mon, I thought you were going to show me that Turians knew how to have a good time!"

"A-alright" said the Turian, giving in to her charm.

She grabbed Garrus' arm and pulled him towards the dance floor. The alcohol had gotten to her a little, Joker could tell, this behavior was not typical for her.

Anyone looking at him would be able to tell that he was visibly upset, but luckily for Joker no one was paying attention and no one was bothering him. He looked over once at the strange sight of the beautiful woman dancing with the awkward Turian, then paid his tab, picked up his crutches, and made his way towards the door.

* * *

Ashley was nervous. _"I think you should just tell him how you feel." _Tali's words kept running through Ashley Williams' mind as she looked down at Kaidan Alenko on the bench. Tali was right, she had decided, so she was going to try to tell him. She glided down the ramp towards him and sat down next to him without saying a word.

"Hey Ash"

"Hey Kaidan, something wrong?" She had intended of just coming out with it, so much for that plan.

"I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"I don't think it's appropriate to talk about."

This wasn't what she wanted to hear, considering she was going to tell him something that might also be considered very inappropriate. "Oh come on Alenko, you don't mind talking about your condition, how much worse could this be?"

Kaidan exhaled loudly, and was clearly conflicted. "Do you really want to know?"

"Maybe I could help." She doubted this, but it seemed like a good answer.

"Ok" he started and paused, "I... I have feelings for..."

_"Say 'you'"_ she thought.

"Commander Shepard," he finished.

"Oh, and she has no idea?" If she truly believed that he was going to say her, she might've been more upset.

"Of course she doesn't, and I have no idea how to get closer to her."

She could tell he was genuinely depressed, and if she hadn't cared about him she might have tried to talk sense into him, but she wanted him to be happy, so she put her arm around him and decided to help. "Well I can guarantee you that confidence cannot hurt. Don't be too forward, that can be overwhelming, but go find her and ask her if she wants to get a drink or something like that, because sitting here isn't helping one bit."

Kaidan then stood up, and Ashley followed him.

"Alright, I'll do just that" said Kaidan, with a renewed confidence in his voice, "thanks, Ash." Then he gave her a peck on the cheek and walked past her on his way to the Wards.

She sat back down on the bench and said to herself, "no problem."

* * *

Garrus wasn't embarrassed. He wasn't a dancer by any means, and this was definitely not how he imagined the night going, but despite all that, he didn't mind at all. He had stopped noticing the looks that the others dancers on the floor gave him and now only had eyes for Jane. She was a far better dancer than he was, and she was literally dancing in circles around him. Occasionally they would touch, both intentionally and accidentally, and Garrus had gone from being jumpy when this happened to very natural, but he didn't dare touch back. To be honest, he was actually starting to tire, but he wasn't going to waste this moment in any way, so he wouldn't be done until she was.

Fortunately, she didn't persist much longer.

"Wanna take a break?" she yelled, so that Garrus could hear her over the pulsating music.

"Alright" he yelled back, and they moved towards an unoccupied table.

"Ok, Garrus, I am now convinced that Turians can be and have fun."

"Happy to prove it to you, Shepard; maybe the word will spread."

"Thanks for this, Garrus."

She never failed to confuse him. "Thanks for what, exactly?"

"Being a friend. My presence tends to intimidate people, so I don't have many people that I am close to."

"The pleasure is all mine, Commander."

"Call me Jane."

* * *

"Liara?" called out Kaidan to the blue figure in front of him.

"Oh, hello Kaidan, how are you?"

"I'm alright, where is it you're going?"

"To Flux, I'm hoping to run into someone there."

"What do you know? I happen to be going there too, for the same reason."

They walked side-by-side the rest of the way, but neither bothered to ask the other who they hoped to see. Kaidan assumed that Liara was interested in seeing Garrus, he had noticed her looking in his direction on more than one occasion, and Turian/Asari relationships weren't wholly uncommon. At one point he thought he saw the unmistakable form of Joker on his crutches moving away from them, but he did not bother to make a thorough investigation; the pilot's business was his own.

They finally arrived and upon entering the club they both paused to survey the crowd. Kaidan finally saw who he was looking for, but his joy was quickly killed. Commander Shepard was dancing with Garrus, and both of them seemed to be truly enjoying themselves. Kaidan quickly made up his mind to leave, his plans would have to wait until another time; he didn't want her to see him now. He hadn't even noticed that Liara had made the same decision that he had, and his suspicions seemed to be true.

The human and the Asari both knew what had just happened to the other, and they were doing their best to not seem heartbroken. It would be clear to Liara now, Kaidan figured, that he liked the Commander, but they seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not discuss it.

He decided to lighten the mood a little. "That was fun, where would you like to go next?"

She smiled, a very pretty smile, Kaidan noticed, and answered "Where would _you_ like to go?"

"I know a place."

* * *

Joker was aimless. He wasn't going anywhere in particular, just away from where he last was. He found himself in the markets, with his arms aching from his travels. He saw a place to sit and took it, momentarily returning to his thoughts. He knew he was nuts to think he had a chance, but _a Turian? _To each his... or her own, he guessed.

"He likes Commander Shepard?" said a familiar nearby voice. _How could someone know that?_

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Williams and the Quarian talking. He had to get to the bottom of this, so he picked up his crutches and went to them.

"Who likes Commander Shepard?" he asked.

Tali turned to face him. "Hello Joker; Lieutenant Alenko does" she said matter-of-factly.

Joker was relieved that they had not discovered his secret, but not pleased to learn that there was another person interested in the Commander, so he was not done with his inquisition. "And how do you know that?"

Williams answered this one. "He told me."

"She likes him" chimed in Tali, much to the dismay of the Gunnery Chief.

"Dammit Tali, that was supposed to be private!"

Joker was rather amused by this exchange, but he decided to ease Ashley's pain a little. "Well if it makes you feel any better, I just saw Shepard dancing with Garrus, so maybe you've still got a shot."

The two of them had the exact same reaction.

"Garrus?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **__Whoa! An update! Yeah it took over a year, but through inspiration from reviews and the _Shades of Night_ update I have finally managed to write something I was okay with posting. This isn't really much of a true chapter, it's about 800 words shorter than what I like to write, but I've been struggling with this for so long that I decided to finish it in this abridged form and move on. Hopefully future chapters will be easier for me and be updated a bit more frequently (and with ME2 coming out it might be a possibility!). Anyway I hope you can find some enjoyment from this, I know it's not as good as the rest. Thanks to all the people who didn't remove their alerts/favorites!

* * *

_

Garrus was surprised. Thrilled. Speechless. He knew their relationship had grown much stronger, but this was big. As far as he knew, no one else on board the Normandy was allowed to call her by her first name. Then again, anyone else with this right would probably only exercise it in one-on-one situations, but he still doubted it.

"All right then, Jane it is" was all he could muster at the moment.

"But only in informal settings like this" pointed out Shepard. "It would be inappropriate otherwise, and god knows rumors get started that way."

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't dare, and we certainly don't want rumors going around" replied the turian honestly, aware that rumors would only hurt his chances, but unaware that rumors were already getting started deep within the wards.

"Excellent, I figured I didn't have to worry about it, but I just thought I'd make sure."

She sighed.

"Anyway I think I'm going to retire for the night, all that dancing tired me out. And I think I slept too much earlier."

Garrus had absolutely no idea why excess sleep would induce sleepiness, but there were more pressing matters at hand. "Well allow me to walk you to your… wherever it is you're staying" he offered, his comfort and confidence around her growing.

She let out a small chuckle. "I have an apartment here on the Citadel" she answered. It was common for anyone who frequented The Citadel to have some sort of residence on it. "And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some company on the way."

Garrus smiled as much as a turian could at this response, as he half-expected her to respond like she had earlier on Feros. "Well then" he started, regaining his composure and trying to not seem _too_ pleased, "lead the way."

They walked for just a short distance before pulling up at a rapid transit car. Garrus had imagined them walking and talking the whole way there, himself serving as some extra protection in the notoriously seedy Wards that he was presumably more familiar with, just in case something were to go wrong. Now he felt silly for having the thought, and wondered if she allowed him to come along just to be nice.

"Are you getting in?" came her voice from inside the car. Garrus returned from his thoughts and was greeted by Shepard's dark, piercing eyes staring right into his. He wanted to kick himself for being so embarrassing, but instead just quickly shuffled himself into the car and closed the door behind himself.

The sudden feelings of shame and self-consciousness made him overthink his every word while they sped towards her apartment. Their dialogue was suddenly gauche and he had resorted to talking about their mission._"Because work is what everyone wants to talk about when they are trying to relax"_ he thought to himself.

By the time he had finally regained his composure, the rapid transit was slowing to a stop and It was time to get out. The walk the rest of the way to Shepard's apartment was mercifully short.

"Well, this is my place" said Shepard, breaking the heavy silence. "Thanks for the good time Garrus."

"My pleasure Comman- Jane" he answered, attempting to take full advantage of this newfound privilege. And then he froze, unsure what to do next.

It didn't matter.

Shepard smiled at his response, said a quick "goodnight," entered the room and closed the door behind her before Garrus knew what had happened.

He feebly said "goodnight" to the door staring back at him.

"_I need a drink."

* * *

_

Kaidan led his Asari cohort to a popular bar in the Wards that was renowned for serving pungent liquors from and for all races. He had been here several times in all of his visits to The Citadel. While not the most glamorous spot on the station, he found it a more-than-suitable place for one to drink away their troubles. And troubles he had plenty of.

When it came to the Citadel, Liara assumed she was the least acquainted of all the Normandy's crew. She had only been here briefly on a few occasions, and had never been to this part of the Wards before. Upon entering the bar she received a few glances, and figured Asaris did not frequent this particular pub. However she trusted Kaidan's judgment enough and did not really care about the other patrons at the moment, what she had just seen had all but confirmed her suspicions and made her depressed.

The pair took two open and adjacent seats at the bar. When the Salarian bartender asked what they wanted Kaidan spoke up.

"Two shots of anything that could kill a small animal, please. I don't want to remember today, tomorrow."

Liara suddenly was questioning whether trusting Kaidan's judgment was the best idea, and the smirk on the bartender's face was adding to her doubts.

Twenty minutes and enough drinks later, she could not have cared less. The alcohol had done its job.

"Tell me, Kaidan" she began, feeling comfortable enough to speak freely with the lieutenant, "what is it that is troubling you?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, with a smile on his face despite the answer to that question.

"Yes, I- I am quite curious."

"Truth is, I've got a 'thing' for Commander Shepard" he answered, hand gesture and all.

Liara was very surprised, as evidenced by her gaping mouth. "Are you even allowed to be with her? She _is_ your superior officer."

"No I don't think so, but I think those rules and regulations about fraternization are pointless, maybe she does too..."

Liara was about to reply when she saw a familiar face enter her plane of view.

"Garrus!" she called out, serving as both an announcement and a way to get his attention.

"Liara, Kaidan" he said with a nod to each.

"Sit, join us" she said, more as a demand than a request.

He settled into his seat to the right of Alenko and ordered a Turian spirit that to any other race would be highly toxic.

"Hell of a night" was all the Turian said after finishing his next drink, and signaled to the Salarian for another.

"You can say that again" agreed Kaidan, "what's your excuse for drinking?"

Garrus was unsure how to answer this question. "…just a lot of things on my mind right now that I don't know how to deal with appropriately." It was the vaguest answer he could think up on the spot. "Your excuse?"

"Oh he has a crush on Shepard" blurted out Liara, seemingly unaware that Kaidan had told her that in confidence, drunken confidence.

Hearing this said by the Asari was sobering for Kaidan. His face became flushed, and not because of the drink. He stood up with a look of unbelieving anger on his face. Without even a glance in Liara's direction he moved away from the bar, out of the building, and disappeared into the crowds of the Wards before anyone had a chance to say anything.

"Oh my, I should not have said that. Do you think I should go apologize? Garrus? ...Garrus!?"

Garrus had heard her question.

* * *

_For all you Joker fans, sorry for not including him in this chapter, I was having real trouble with his parts in particular. He'll definitely return in the next chapter though, thanks for reading._


End file.
